Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the Senate just devoted more than 3 hours to the nomination of Chris Schroeder. I am glad that after many months the Senate has finally been allowed to act on that nomination and gratified that he received a bipartisan confirmation vote. After months of delay no Republican came to the Senate to speak in opposition to the nomination in the 3 hours that Republicans insisted be set aside to debate it. Senator Kaufman spoke in favor; I spoke in favor. Not a single opponent came to debate. That wasted more of the Senate's time when we should be considering other matters. We could be debating Wall Street reform, patent reform, or clearing the way for some of the other 100 Presidential nominations being stalled. We should have been. With respect to the President's judicial nominees, we are well behind the pace I set as chairman when the Senate was considering President Bush's nominees during the second year of his Presidency. By this date in President Bush's second year, the Senate, with a Democratic majority, had moved ahead to confirm 45 of his Federal circuit and district court judges. So far during President Obama's Presidency, Senate Republicans have only allowed votes on 18 of his Federal circuit and district court nominations. During the first 2 years of President Bush's Presidency we moved forward to confirm 100 of his judicial nominees. Republican obstruction of President Obama's nominations makes it unlikely that the Senate will reach 50 such confirmations.…”